Fort Frye’s Emmie Duskey delivers a pitch during a high school softball game against Frontier Thursday in Beverly. (Photo by Aaron Lee)

BEVERLY — On Thursday, Fort Frye played host in a softball game against Frontier. The Cadets were up 5-0 by the end of the second inning, and despite a late rally attempt by the Cougars, Fort Frye won by a final of 7-5.

Emmie Duskey started things off strong for the Cadets with three straight strikeouts to retire Frontier in the first. Fort Frye’s Jaslynn Casto got the scoring started in the leadoff position, reaching on an error, working her way around the bases and scoring on a fielder’s choice.

Fort Frye unloaded offensively in the second after forcing another scoreless inning. Jayden Brown got on base with a single and advanced to second with a steal, and was quickly brought home thanks to an RBI double by Jaden Cox. Faith Treadway added another RBI double on a bunt. Carmen Henniger also got on base with a bunt, and then stole second. Casto then added an RBI single. After an inning-ending double play at first and third for the Cougars, the score stood at 5-0 Fort Frye.

In the bottom of the third, Duskey hit a single and managed to advance to third, but the Cadets were unable to bring her home before recording their third out.

Frontier’s bats came alive in the top of the fourth inning. After an Isabella Grayson single, a Kaycee Berentz walk and a Grace Arnold single, the bases were juiced. Ella Mendenhall, Evelyn Armstrong and Miley Kiggans (pinch hitter) all brought a runner home with RBI singles to make the score 5-3 Fort Frye going into the bottom of the fourth.

Frontier’s Haylee Berentz delivers a pitch during a high school softball game against Fort Frye Thursday in Beverly. (Photo by Aaron Lee)

Things continued to go the Cougars’ way in the bottom of the frame, as Berentz struck out all three batters she faced to send Frontier back to the plate.

Grayson, Berentz and Arnold hit singles in the fifth, but none resulted in runs for the Frontier.

The Cadets padded their two-run lead in the bottom of the fifth with a RBI single by Jayden Brown, bringing home Duskey and extending the lead to three.

Despite the expanding deficit, Frontier’s comeback attempts were not done. An Armstrong double followed by a Maquelah Walker single set up Kate Congelton’s 2 RBI double on a line drive to center field that made it to the back fence, making the score 6-5 Fort Frye.

After her single in the same inning, Walker had the defensive play of the game in the bottom of the sixth, making a running catch well above her head that would have otherwise easily resulted in a triple.

Fort Frye added its final run of the night in the sixth with an RBI double by Henniger, bringing home Treadway to make the score 7-5. The Cadets were able to keep Frontier off the board in the top of the seventh to clinch the win.

Frontier is back in action today, hosting Valley at 5 p.m. Fort Frye plays next at Marietta on Monday.

Contact Aaron Lee at alee@newsandsentinel.com